This is an interesting video of John Legend talking about race, a colorblind society, and lack of education society.
Do you agree or disagree with his view? Why?
Thursday, May 20, 2010
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I agree with his view and really liked how he talked about fixing the underlying causes of why there are differences and perceptions in society. He had similar points to what Kevin Giddins, the guest speaker, talked about in his presentation, about how it is ok to see differences, and just because it is different, doesn't mean it is bad.
ReplyDeleteI think it is really easy for me, and others, to think that being colorblind is the answer to racism, but, I know I wouldn't want who I am to be ignored just so that people feel better about themselves.
I too watched this interview and was moved by John Legends own personal experience of racism when he was in Virginia looking for a friend and asked some white folks for directions to his friends house.
ReplyDeleteThe response he got was "we don't want you here in our neighborhood" or something similar to that effect. The house he was looking for was right around the corner.
I guess even celebrities are not immune to racial prejudices, could this mean that perhaps the whole notion of social class/wealth distinction/celebrity status is also secondary to a more human factor that being the "color" of a mans skin taking precedence above all other factors when trying to characterize and marginalize an individual. hmm...????
While watching this video i really enjoyed some of the comments made by John Legend. His thoughts and ideas about a color blind society really made me think.
ReplyDeleteI questioned Johns experience in virgina. The comments that were made by the white folks were not necessary but I honeslty believe that they were saying it because of his driving and not based off of his skin color.
I also saw it very interesting that a celebrity had racial prejudices against him. This was very eye opening and I was greatful that I watched it!
I completely respect and agree with John Legend's insights. I agree that our society needs to address the history of our country. We cannot ignore the fact that we enslaved African Americans and placed Japanese Americans in internment camps. We as Americans need to know the history of our country and learn from the mistakes of the past.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that in order to reach a post- racial society we can still see race. We need to treat everyone with respect and equality but we do not need to ignore the fact that people are different.
I agree very much with what John Legend proposed in this interview. I was mostly interested in one point that he made and that Anderson Cooper also asked about is about how horrified white parents were with their child's responses. I think its true that many white people are trying to live in a color-blind society and they think that by not talking to their kids about race, that it fixes the issue.
ReplyDeleteIf children grow up not knowing about race conflict (according to this way of thought), then they will never be racist, discriminatory, or seek for segregation in their associations with others. I think that John Legend points out well that in his family, race was talked about openly. I think that this is something that needs to be talked about more. It's not about putting the blinders on, but rather about openly discussing our past, our history, and our future. How can we move forward if we don't know where we are coming from?
I too agree with the things Legend said. Understanding history changes the way we live our lives. I like how he referred to his understanding of the civil rights movement as well as the civil war as shaping how he viewed himself and his opportunities. I think that shoveling the past under a rug prevents us from being compassionate towards others, being proud of our heritage, recognizing the mistakes of our heritage, and seeing the blessing of our opportunities.
ReplyDelete"We need to learn to love and value everybody...I don't want someone to love me despite the fact that I'm black...I'm proud to be black," Legend said. I like this view a lot. I believe that no matter a person's skin, there's a reason to look at our heritage and be proud. There's also always going to be reasons to look and recognize mistakes. We all need to give and receive help in the context of understanding and recognizing our different heritages and backgrounds.
I agree with his views, that kids are responding to these cues society has given off for many years, which is why they chose the way they did. Regardless of whether or the child grows up in a prejudice home, society has a huge effect on adolescent development. It is also interesting to me that he brings up the point that parents need to educate their children on the historical racial issues. In the church we are taught to teach our children so they can make informed decisions in life. I think this applies here. If we don't teach our children the issue of race, children can grow up with a skewed societal viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteJohn's experience in Virginia is unfortunate and it shows us that racism still exists today. He brings up a good point, that we don't have to be colorblind but we need to not define a person based on his or her race.